Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-06-17

One morning-it was the Goth Of March
jess and he were sitting in "The Paatiap
garden. John was lying in long cane deck
chair that jess had borrowed or stolen out Of
one Of the deserted houses, and smoking a
pipe.
They sat in silence; John putting away at
his pipe and jess, her work-one of his socks
lying idly upon her knees with her hands
clasped over it and her eyes fixed upon the
lights and shadows that played with broad
fingers upon the wooded slopes beyond.
John finished his pipe, and although she
did not know it, was watching her face,
which, now that she was off her guard, was
no longer impassive, but seemed to mirror
the tender and glorious hope that was float
ing through her mind. Her lips were slightly
parted, and her wide eyes were full Of a soft,
strange light, while on the whole counten-
ance was look of eager thought and spiritu-
allied desire such as he had known portrayed
in ancient masterpieces upon the face of the
virgin mother jess was not, except as re-
CARDS her eyes and hair, even good looking
person. But at that moment John thought
that her face was touched with a diviner
beauty than he had yet seen on the face of
woman. 1t thrilledjlm and appealed to him,
not as Besse's beauty had appealed, but to
that other side of his nature, of which jess
alone could turn the key. Her face was more
like the face of spirit than human beings,
and it almost frightened him to see it.
"Jess," he said at last, "what are you think
ing off"
She started and her face resumed its
normal air. 1t was as though a mask had
been suddenly set upon it.
"Why do you askl' she said
because | want to know. 1 never saw
you look like that before"
She laughed a little
"You would think me foolish if l told Vol,
what was thinking about Never mind, it
has gone wherever thoughts go. l will tell
You what am thinking about now, which
is-that it is about time we got out of this
place. My uncle and Bessie will be half dis
tracted."
"We've had more than two months of it
now. The relieving column can't be far of, y
suggested John; for these foolish people in
Pretoria labored under firm belief that one
fine morning they would be gratified with
the sight of the light dancing down a long
line of British bayonets, and of Beers evapor-
ating i'll every direction like storm clouds be-
fore the sun.
jess shook her head. She was beginning
to lose faith in relieving columns that never
came.
"lf we don't help ourselves, my opinion is
that we may stop here till we are starved
cut, which we pretty well are. However, it's
40 use talking about it, so I'm off to get our
rations. Let's see, have you got everything
you wants"
Everything, thanks"
well, then, mind you stop quiet till come
back
"Why," laughed John, ~ am as strong as a
horse"
POSSIBLY; but that is what the doctor said,
you know. Good-bye!" And jess took her
big basket and started on what John used to
feebly call her irrational undertaking."
She had not got fifty PAGES from the door
before she suddenly caught sight of familiar
form seated on a familiar pony. The form
was fat and jovial looking, and The pony was
small but also fat 1t was Hans Coetzee-
none other!
jess could hardly believe her eyes. Old
Hans in Pictorial What could it meant
"Om Coetzee! ON Coetzee" she called, as
he came ambling past her, evidently making
for the Heidelberg road.
The old Boer pulled up his pony, and gazed
around him in mystified way.
Here, ON Coetzeel Here!"
"Allemachter!" he said, jerking his pony
who would have thought Of seeing you herel"
"Who would have thought of seeing you
here" she answered.
"Hes, yes; it seems strange; dare say that
it seems strange But | am messenger of
peace, like Uncle Noah's dove in the ark you
know The fact is, and he glanced round to
see if anybody were listening, II have been
sent by the government to arrange about an
exchange of prisoners"
"The government What government
"What government Why, the triumvirate,
OF course-whom may the Lord bless and
prosper as he did Jonah when he walked on
the wall of the city"
Joshua, when he walked round the wall of
the city," suggested Jess "Jonah walked
down the whales throat"
"Ah! to be sure, so he did, and blew q
trumpet inside. l remember now; though l
am sure | don't know how he did it, The
fact is that our glorious victories have quite
confused me. All! what thing it is to be
a patriot! The dear Lord makes strong the
arm Of the patriot, and takes care that he hits
his man well in the middle"
"You have turned wonderfully patriotic all
of a sudden, ON Coetzee," said Jess, tartly.
Eyes, missile, yes; l am patriot to the
bone of my back. / hate the English govern
ment; d-n the English government! Let us
have our land back and our volisraad. AL
mighty! l saw who was in the right at
Laing's Mex there. All, those poor rooibaat-
jesl l shot four Of them myself; two as they
came up and two as they ran away, and the
last one went head over heels like buck.
Poor man! cried for him afterward did
not like going to fight at all, but Frank Null.
Ter sent to me and said that if / did not go he
would have me shot. All, he is devil of a
man, that Frank Muller! SO | went, and
when saw how the dear Lord had put it into
the heart of the English general to be bigger
fool even that day than he is every day, and
to try and drive us out of Laing's Mex with
a thousand of his poor rooibaatjes, then, 1
tell you. | saw where the right lay, and I
said, 'D-n the English government! What
Is the English government doing hereP and
after 1ngogo / said it again"
"Never mind all that, Om Coetzee," broke
In jess. Il have heard you tell different
tale before, and perhaps you will again. Tell